Chasing a fox

Just another bet

Isa POV

The constant beep from my alarm seeped into my dream and its annoyance keeped waking me up. When Gwen an I returned, it was about 3:30am, so I didn´t had much sleep last night. While I tried to to sit up and keep my eyes open, I suddenly remembered my little souvenir. My view was still fuzzy, so I had to blink a few times, before I could see clearly. There it was. Resting on my nightstand. My precious ham. I smiled in anticipation of the boys faces and felt suddenly much more awake.

“Are you awake?”, I mind linked Gwen, while picking some casual clothes out of my wardrobe.

I got a grumble in response. I breathed out annoyed.

“Gwen!”, I shouted. “Come on, hurry, we don´t want to miss the breakfast.” I got a little impatient, while taking a quick shower and get dressed.

“This better be worth it.”, the sudden response came.

“Of course it will. Meet me in my room when you are ready.”

I didn´t have to wait long for her to enter my room. Her long blond hair was still wet and unusual straight after the shower, I knew it will get it´s beautiful waves soon, if it´s a bit more dry.

“Should we really do this?” Gwen bit her lower lip nervously. “I mean, sure, the Alpha let us pass with little sauciness, and pretends not to know about, but this feels like a whole new level. We could really get in trouble for this.”

“We will never know if we don´t take a chance. And do you want to be last night risks for nothing?”, I asked disbelieving, my hands in my hips.

“Of course not.”, Gwen said confident. “So lets do it.”, she smiled, which I reflected back, while grabbing the ham.

“Let´s go!”, I shouted overexcited when I left the room with a laughing Gwen.

We lived both in the pack house, with all the other unmated foxes. Our pack is not very big, so there are just about thirty other folks living here. It´s common to move here, when you´re sixteen, but some few also prefer to stay home with their family. When you find you´re mate, you settle down in your own house. Or, to be precisely, when he finds you. As the male knows first who is destined for him, so he has to court her, and it is her decision if he´s worthy to be accepted as a mate.

Gwen and I lived here for three years now, and still no mates in sight.

But anyways, before I could sank even deeper into my thoughts, we arrived in the dining room. There were different tables spread around the room and a nice buffet. Josh, who is our Alphas son and just a year older than me, sat already there, eating, together with his friends.

“Hey Josh, how is breakfast today?“, I asked casually while stepping closer.

I could see how he paused eating for a moment, probably thinking about what I was up to.

“Fine.“, he said and even though he still turned his back to me, I could literally see his narrowed eyes.

“Eggs, hm.“ I peeked over Joshs shoulder, than towards Gwen, who bit her lower lip in excitement.

“Wouldn´t those be better with...“ I made a dramatic pause. “Ham?“ I shouted and smashed the ham on the table, right next to Joshs plate, so hard the glasses shook.

Than I just stood there, hands proud in my hips, with a victorious smile on my face. Suddenly I noticed how quiet the room became, everyone just looked between Josh and me, waiting for his reaction.

As our future Alpha, he didn´t really like someone to challenge him, but me being me, didn´t want to follow someone, who hasn´t my respect. Like, I could follow, if I wanted to. I followed my current Alpha Richard, his decisions were for the best of all of us, and he lead us well. Okay, maybe I didn´t follow everything, cause law breaking is fun, but that´s not the point. But when Josh gave us order, I would constantly question it.

So even we were not the only ones to prove their braveness, it was different between the Alphas son an me.

“Where did you get that from.“, he asked curiously and gave me a small glance over his shoulder. Of course he smelled that it wasn´t ours, but couldn´t really believe it.

I turned the ham a bit to the side and pointed to it´s branding. NR. Night river, the wolf packs name.

“How did you get that?“, he asked disbelieving, now fully turned to me, his eyes wide. Ah, that was better than in my imagination.

“We are just very sneaky.“, I shrugged my shoulders like it was nothing.

“I can´t believe it.“ I saw a little smile appear on Joshs face and he nod in approval. I couldn´t deny it made me proud. The other people cheered joyfully. See, he´s not a bad guy, sometimes he is just too self conceited.

“So, this ham looks delicious, let´s get a knife, I think we should get rid of this evidence.“ Everyone laughed while Gwen and I got many compliments, so it was the best breakfast since a long time. Until:

“You know I want a revenge for this? Just you and me this time.“

~

So it was set soon. My last coup was just three days far, and here I was once again near the wolf territory. But this time Josh was by my side, and not Gwen. She left us with the other spectators a while ago, where it was safe to stay. “Let´s get the rules clear.”, Josh started to speak. “Who ever gets nearest to a wolf first, wins. If one of us sees a wolf first, but backs off than, so the other can get nearer, he won´t win. And we won´t get each other or ourselves in unnecessary danger.” He demanded in an Alpha voice, like even if we are going to break the rules, and the whole situation is very dangerous, I could say he still cares for me and want me to be safe. And I could accept that, for this time . Maybe he won´t be such a bad Alpha after all.

“Got it.”

“Okay. Whenever you are ready.”

“Ready!”, I shouted and started running through the high grass, with Josh close behind. He was taller than me, not only as a human, but also in his fox form. But just a few, as every fox nearly had the same height.

We spied the border from far, when we were by our folks, so we knew it should be more or less safe to cross now.

I found it hard to check my environment, when my priority was not to fall back behind. I wanted to win this so badly. I ran much faster through the forest, than I did it the last times, and just hoped for the best. Josh took the lead a while ago, but I was hot on his trail. When more and more stars appeared above us, I knew the clearing was near. I got slower, to check if it was safe to continue like Josh did in front of me.

“Should be safe.”, he muttered, before he started a light trot again.

“What are you doing?”, I squeaked out, as I saw him just running forwards, towards a pretty garden right in front of the pack house. Once we would reach the garden, there would be enough bushes to hid us, but the way there was uncovered.

“I guess I am going to win, if you don´t come any further.”

Ouch. That hit a nerve.

With a really unpleasant feeling, I slowly followed Josh to the garden, my unsteady eyes checking every shadow, my ears perked up for even the smallest sound. The wolfs smell made me nervous, but at day time this place was alive and full of people, like the whole clearing with it´s buildings, so the smell wont disappear for a while, even if the wolves would leave their territory. So I couldn´t count on this sense, which normally was most important for me.

A crack made my movement freeze, one paw still in the air.

Josh also stood there stiff, just his ears and nose twitched, together with the top of his tail, so I knew he also was very nervous.

We couldn´t see anything yet, but it was as if the atmosphere around us had changed, and we knew we were not longer alone. Maybe we never weren´t, since we crossed the border. I had to admit the whole run was so bold, it seemed crazy now how we could even get that far. Unless they wanted us to come here exactly.

“Whatever happens, just run home when I say so, I want you to be safe.”, he said, trying to sound confident, and once again I liked this protective side of him, which I never noticed before.

He was just a few meters away from me.

“Just copy my moves.” He slowly started to move backwards, but before I could even move a feet, a wolf with gray fur jumped out of the shadows from the bushes, towards Josh.

“Run!”, he screamed the moment the huge wolf fangs closed around his neck fur and raised him up, his paws kicking the air.

He didn´t had a change to move, before he was catched, the wolf was to close.

Simultaneously to the gray wolf, three other wolves appeared, together with a man, standing there, farthest from us, just in his shorts.

But when Josh said run, I couldn´t even blink and to be honest, I didn´t even hear him, due to this gorgeous stranger.

He had dark brown hair, with a little red gleam, like the darkest chestnut. It was short and shaggy and I would love to stroke my hand through it. His eyes were also brown, but with a slide hidden gold-dust. His chest was well trained, I saw the muscles from his six-pack. He was tall, and his whole presence kind of intimidating, as if he was used to command and won´t accept disobedience. Yet I was unfearful, just fascinated by this man, and everything else became unimportant.

That was until the three remaining wolves leaped towards me.

I felt like I awoke from a dizziness, suddenly I heard Josh lightly squeal, as he tried to free himself, while he screamed for me to run.

I ducked down to the ground, desperately searching for cover, as I knew it was too late to escape.

“Stop!”, I heard a foreign voice, which sounded way beyond anger, it´s deep sound giving me chills.

The wolves stopped on the spot, their heads moved towards the man at the other end of the garden questioningly.

“Back off. She is mine.” His hands were cramped into fists at his side, his narrowed eyes looking enraged at his companions. Even he wasn´t close, I could see his body shaking.

What the hell?

The wolves which had encircled me, seemed to feel the same confusion like I did, when their glance switched between that guy and me, but they followed his orders nevertheless and slowly stepped back.

When it seemed like no one was going to eat me in the near future, I got up from the ground. I looked to the huge wolves near to me, which resulted in a growl from the man and the wolves hurried to look somewhere else.

Okay?

What a strange behavior, but I wouldn´t be a fox if I won´t made the best out of the situation. And I still wanted to win this thing.

I didn´t really get why this stranger forbid his man to attack, but I sure as hell get my advantage of it. I would be his? His to kill maybe, he seemed mad enough tho. I had to prove my point.

Once again I focused my gaze on a brown wolf, which stood closest to me. Like I expected, the man growled, bu´t I took some small steps forwards nevertheless. The growling became furious and the brown wolf took some steps back from me hastily. I saw fear in his eyes and uncertainty as he layed down on the ground. As I was sure about the fact, that he won´t allow anyone to lay a hand on me, I turned away from the wolves.

Whoever got closest to a wolf wins. And when this growling stranger isn´t the wolf of all wolves, I don´t know.

“Don´t do anything stupid. Or at least, nothing ever more stupid, than challenging the brown wolf over there.” Josh interfered while looking at the brown wolf, still laying flat on the ground, while he himself still was captured from the gray one.

“I did not challenge him. I challenged the man.”

“Does it make a difference? They´re all wolves, and they´re all eating our asses up, if we don´t escape soon.”, his voice sounded angry.

“So while it´s still chaotic, and no one seems to know what to do next, you´ll take your chance and run!” Josh ordered growling, the strength of an alpha evident in his voice.

My fox immediately bowed it´s head down, not able to look him in the eyes. I tried to resist his command, but I can´t. I looked back from where we came from, when I realized that he didn´t say where to run. So back to the plan, I flashed Josh an apologetic glance, than I ran straight towards the man at the other end of the garden, who has watched our silent argument carefully. While I ran to him, different emotions were shown at his face. I saw surprise, suspiciousness, disbelief and some more I couldn´t figure out. He tried to control his emotions, but his eyes would sparkle nevertheless.

“Damn Isa!”, I heard Josh curse, while he tried to wiggle himself free, only to earn a growl and a heavy shook from the gray wolf.

The closer I got to the man, the handsomer he got, if possible. I stumbled a bit due to cobble ground, cause the last I would do, was watch my feet when there was such a beautiful creature right in front of me. I quickly swallowed, before I started drooling. When I stumbled his fists opened and he made a step towards me, like he was ready to catch me if I would fall. I realised that he worried about me, and knew for sure, that wasn´t a man ready to kill me. He won´t hurt me. And with this knowledge I tunneled his legs, before I turned to escape. With a victorious grin I took huge jumps towards my next target, the gray wolf. I quickly looked back just to see the hurt expression on the mans face and it felt like my heart missed a beat, before it continues with a light sting. My smile faded a bit, but I had to focus now, and pushed the thought of him away.

I stretched my legs for one last high jump, which leads me right on to the back of the gray one. I could feel him tensed up under my paws, his muscles harden. I tried to balance myself by making little steps back and forth. He growled and I could tell he was conflicted whether he should just shook me off or not, cause he don´t wanted to disobey the leader. But which action would be more disobedient?

His growls were drowned out by the mentioned one. If I thought he was furious before, that was nothing to what I saw now. It was like he wasn´t longer a man, but a beast, even if his appearance hasn´t changed. His power filled ´the air, till it was thick and I tasted it on my tongue. His once brown eyes hypnotized me, it seems like the goldstrikes where on fire burning inside of them. Alpha power dripped of every single pore and swept away every doubt I had about that fact. He raised his head and his nostrils opened wide as he blew out his anger.

My fox wanted to bow down, but his eyes held me capture like a deer in the spotlight and I couldn´t move.

Unlike the wolf beneath me. He shivered in fear, his eyes straight on the ground, as he hurried to lay down. He released Josh as he opened his mouth to roll on the side and presented his throat.

“Now that everyone knows you have balls of steel, lets run, goddamn!”, Josh urged me and I agreed this time.

I had a feeling the wolves won´t follow us, as they still layed on the ground or had their heads down, expect for a huge dark brown one, that looked to his Alpha. Same Alpha, who started walking towards us now in big steps.

Finally I moved, walking first, cause I wanted to see what happened behind us, but running soon, when I saw the man picking up his pace. Josh was by my side, pushing me to run faster.

“If you don´t want to get caught, I advise you to get faster, cause he´s coming closer.”

“I know, I know, let me just think for a second.”

“Think? Look where your thinking got us. You could have escaped earlier, without making the wolves Alpha mad as hell. If you had just obeyed for once in your life!”

Oh now he was angry at me? Because I saved his life?

“I obeyed you!”, I pointed out grimly, since his command just made everything more complicated.

“Maybe you need to be more specific next time.”

“Oh is that so. Than I will be specific now: stop debating and concentrate on our escape.”

I gave him a mad glance but stayed quiet.

I heard the movement behind us stopped for a moment, only to be replaced by four paws hammering on the flour and a sharp barking.

This is just great, an angry man changed into an angry wolf. Wonderful. Even as a human he got closer, now in his wolf form, I knew we had no chance leaving their territory.

“Follow me.”, I said and ran straight to the left, hoping we will make it in time.

“Damn girl, what is this, changing directions to confuse him? Are we rabbits now? I don´t think that´ll work.”

“Trust me, it will.”

The thundering got closer, I could feel him right behind me, the ground vibrated under his giant paws. His growl was dark as he leaped for me, exact in the moment Josh and I reached the hole Gwen and I had dug here, in case of emergency.

 “Come in here!”, I screamed and ran into the tunnel, Josh was so close behind, he nearly stepped onto my paws. The light of the entrance darkened as massive snout appeared, trying to find a way inside. He sneezed a few times, due to the dust he produced with his attempts, before he released his head out of the foxhole. My heart pound fast in my chest and I breathed heavily, trying to get enough air. But when I heard a wolf howling, which sounded so sad and wounded I hold my breath as my eyes filled with tears.